Yes alright. I know The Sun is a comic and a Murdoch rag but its political editor Trevor Kavanagh is well in with No 10 and I suspect there may be something in this story..........
LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
Plot to keep Brown down By TREVOR KAVANAGH Political Editor 26th Sept
TONY Blair's allies are counting on an economic downturn to derail Gordon Brown's bid for the Labour crown, a former minister claimed yesterday.
The warning by ex-pensions chief Frank Field came amid signs the Chancellor's eight-year run of luck at the Treasury may be running out.
Blairite ministers gathering in Brighton for the Labour conference are publicly vowing to give Mr Brown a clear run for the top job.
But Mr Field claimed they are privately plotting a challenge if the economy goes sour.
And he predicted the PM will stay on as long as possible, leaving his rival to carry the can for any economic bad news.
He told GMTV: "The inner core of Blairite ministers might have a game plan which is separate from what they are actually spinning at the present time.
"The more cynical might be saying the Blairites are playing a slightly longer ball game and within two years Gordon's position may look very different to what it is today."
"Whenever the economy has had a dip there have been people emerging from the wings, looking as the candidate who would actually be challenging Gordon."
The Chancellor's mastery of the Treasury has been rocked by figures showing:
UNEMPLOYMENT is up for the seventh month in a row.
INFLATION is rising even before the leap in oil prices.
GROWTH forecasts have been slashed from 3 per cent to barely 2 per cent.
TAX rises now look inevitable.
Meanwhile, public sector borrowing has exploded, the NHS faces a financial crisis - despite a massive boost from taxpayers - and pension reform has been kicked into touch.
A shake-up in council tax, which would glean more cash, has been delayed for five years to save Labour from the wrath of householders at the next election.
Mr Brown is also under fire for failing to carry out a Budget vow to slash public sector jobs by 80,000.
And the bill for publicly-funded pensions for state workers has ballooned to a shocking £700billion.
Mr Brown has reacted by blaming a surge in oil prices and a sluggish Europe.
But City experts say the Chancellor shares the blame for allowing state and consumer spending to explode.
Now workers who have seen their disposable income CUT for two years in a row have stopped shopping.
They have been hit by dearer mortgages, higher council taxes and big hikes in gas and electricity prices that started before oil prices began rising.
High street chains warn of a "catastrophic" fall in sales, sparking fears of more lay-offs.
Economists are wary of criticising a Chancellor who has outsmarted them in the past and has an unmatched record for getting his forecasts right.
They also give him credit for putting the economy on a stable footing by giving the Bank of England power to set interest rates and rules for state borrowing.
But Neil Parker, of the Royal Bank of Scotland, said: "Consumers are the key to the economy and they have got a lot on their plates.
"They are paying more in tax, mortgages, heating and the cost of filling up.
"Problems for the UK economy are compounded by state spending and this is the Chancellor's biggest challenge.
"He is not going to be able to cut spending significantly and he is going to have to find that money by raising tax."
The Treasury is under heavy fire from global big guns for excessive borrowing and spending. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund warn taxes must rise or state spending must be cut to balance the books.
Even Brussels had the nerve to criticise Mr Brown for going into the red. For the first time in eight years as Chancellor he will be unable to boast to Labour fans about soaring growth.
He is already preparing to slash his budget forecast of 3 to 3.5 per cent growth to around 2 per cent.
The Treasury says this is DOUBLE the EU average of 1.2 per cent.
But every percentage point means less money for the Treasury in tax.
Mr Brown will blame soaring oil prices, the slothful EU economy and uncertainty over house prices.
But the City fears most of the problems are home-grown. They predict Mr Brown will have to raise taxes by at least £10BILLION to plug the gap
- at the worst possible time for the economy.
Nobody is shouting the word "slump". But shops, manufacturers and business believe the outcome will be determined by house prices and the value of the Pound.
Merrill Lynch's Ian Stewart warned: "Housing booms traditionally end in bust. We haven't had that but consumers have built up debts that will force them to cut back. There are problems ahead. I don't think we are heading for a collapse, but I am not optimistic about UK plc."